Biomedical Informatics

About this course

Within medical research there is a need for the collation, integration, analysis and interpretation of clinico-pathological data, and data generated by experimental techniques.

This short course will provide students with an understanding of the theories and applications of core biostatistical and bioinformatics techniques within biomedical informatics used in both academia and industry in project planning, analysis and evaluation, particularly with regard to stratification of patients.

The aims of this short couse are to:

• Develop students' knowledge and understanding of key biomedical informatics techniques including core biostatistical and bioinformatics methods.

• Develop an appreciation of the role of clinico-pathological/experimental data in stratifying patients.

• Provide students with the ability to assess, process, integrate and analyse patient/experimental data within a pre-clinical setting.

Linked programmes

MSc Biomedical Science, PG Cert Professional Development.

Assessment

Essay [35%]

Written Assignment [65%]

Attendance

This course is delivered fully online for 12 weeks in both Semester 1 and Semester 2, starting 21 September 2026 and 25 January 2027 respectively, with no on campus attendance requirements.

* Please note, dates and timetabling are to be confirmed and may be subject to change.

Entry requirements

Students will be considered for entry to the course on an individual basis.

The basic entry requirements are outlined below:

Applicants must:

(a) have gained

a second class honours degree or better with significant bioscience (or biostatistics) such as nursing, biomedical sciences, biology, pharmacy from a university of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, or from a recognised national awarding body, or from an institution of another country which has been recognised as being of an equivalent standard; or an equivalent standard (normally 50%) in a Graduate Diploma, Graduate Certificate, Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma or an approved alternative qualification;

and

(b) provide evidence of competence in written and spoken English (GCSE grade C or equivalent).

In exceptional circumstances, as an alternative to (a) (i) or (a) (ii) and/or (b), where an individual has substantial and significant experiential learning, a portfolio of written evidence demonstrating the meeting of graduate qualities (including subject-specific outcomes, as determined by the Course Committee) may be considered as an alternative entrance route. Evidence used to demonstrate graduate qualities may not be used for exemption against modules within the programme.

English Language Requirements

Applicants whose first language is not English must meet the minimum English entrance requirements of the University and will need to provide recent evidence of this (certified within the last two years).

Most of our courses require a minimum English level of IELTS 6.0 or equivalent, with no band score under 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement.

Additional information on English language requirements for admission at Ulster University, is available at - www.ulster.ac.uk/global/apply/english-language-requirements

Start dates

• 21 September 2026
• 25 January 2027

Fees and Funding

2026/27 Fees

See our tuition fees page for the current fees for 2026/27 entry.

Prices

Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and EU Settlements Status Fees: £726.75

England, Scotland, Wales and the Islands Fees: £726.75

International Fees: £1,525.80

Fees information

Payment of Fees and Deposits

Information about how to pay for a course including different payment options is available at - www.ulster.ac.uk/finance/student/tuition-fees-payments

Fees and Funding

Information and advice about course fees and a guide to budgeting for your living costs, as well as sources for financial assistance including hardship funding, scholarships, prizes and awards, is available at - ​www.ulster.ac.uk/student/fees

Find the right scholarship for you

See if you can access financial or other forms of support, including mentorship to excel in your studies.

View available scholarships.

Additional mandatory costs

It is important to remember that costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges) and normal living will need to be covered in addition to tuition fees.

Where a course has additional mandatory expenses (in addition to tuition fees) we make every effort to highlight them above. We aim to provide students with the learning materials needed to support their studies. Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. Computer suites and free Wi-Fi are also available on each of the campuses.

There are additional fees for examination resits and library fines. Where a graduation ceremony is part of your course, please be aware that additional fees will apply.

Students choosing a period of paid work placement or study abroad as a part of their course should be aware that there may be additional travel and living costs, as well as tuition fees.

See the tuition fees on our student guide for most up to date costs.

Sustainability

Ulster continues to develop and support sustainability initiatives with our staff, students, and external partners across various aspects of teaching, research, professional services operations, and governance.

At Ulster every person, course, research project, and professional service area on every campus either does or can contribute in some way towards the global sustainability and climate change agenda.

We are guided by both our University Strategy People, Place and Partnerships: Delivering Sustainable Futures for All and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Our work in this area is already being recognised globally.  Most recently by the 2024 Times Higher Education Impact rating where we were recognised as Joint 5^th Globally for Outreach Activities and Joint Top 20 Globally for Sustainable Development Goal 17:  Partnership for the Goals.

Visit our Sustainability at Ulster destination to learn more about how the University strategy and the activities of Ulster University support each of the Sustainable Development Goals.

• Sustainability at Ulster University

Faculty of Life and Health Sciences – Sustainability in Focus

Learning and Teaching

Our Faculty is dedicated to integrating sustainability across our curriculum, preparing students to address global environmental challenges.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) have been incorporated throughout each course within the Faculty and each module outlines how and where they meet these SDG’s.

Subject specific guidance on sustainability has been provided in the QAA benchmarks statements for Biomedical Science and Biomedical Sciences; Biosciences; Chemistry; Optometry; Psychology; Earth Sciences; Veterinary Nursing; Agriculture; Rural –Environmental Sciences; Animal Studies; Consumer Science; Forestry, Food Horticulture –and –Human Nutrition; Health Studies; Earth Sciences and Geography.

Research and Knowledge Exchange

Our Faculty has key centres of research excellence within all Schools and our interdisciplinary approach brings together researchers from diverse fields to develop impactful solutions.

By advancing knowledge in various fields within the faculty, we aim to identify sustainable approaches to:

• Health promotion
• Achieving food security improved nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture
• Ensuring healthy lives and promote wellbeing
• Promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all
• Achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls
• Ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
• Taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
• Conserving and sustainably using the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
• Promoting sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems
• Promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development
• Implementation and revitalisation of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development

External Partnerships

Collaboration is key to driving sustainability. Our Faculty partners with external stakeholders including professional bodies and learned societies to enhance the sustainability journey for all our students and to promote sustainable practices.

External partnerships enable us to apply research and innovation to real-world challenges. We drive meaningful change in local communities, industries, and global ecosystems, fostering a more sustainable society through impactful projects and community engagement.

Contact

For further information please contact us via -

Email: FlexEd@ulster.ac.uk

Telephone: +44 (0) 28 9536 7199

* Please ensure to include your name, email, contact number and the name of the course you are interested in, with your query.

For more information visit

• Visit Faculty of Life and Health Sciences
• Visit School of Biomedical Sciences

Terms and Conditions

1. We prepare our prospectus and online information about our courses with care and every effort is made to ensure that the information is accurate. The printed version of the prospectus is, however, published at least a year before the courses begin. Information included in the prospectus may, therefore, change. This includes, but is not limited to changes to the terms, content, delivery, location, method of assessments or lengths of the courses described. Not all circumstances are foreseeable, but changes will normally be made for one of the following reasons:

• to meet external, professional, or accredited body requirements;
• to provide for exceptional circumstances due to reasons beyond our reasonable control;
• to improve or enhance your experience, or to adopt changes recommended in student feedback, with the aim of improving the student experience and/or student outcomes; and/or
• to ensure appropriate academic standards are met, for example in response to external examiners’ feedback.

2. If there are insufficient enrolments to make a course viable, it may be necessary for the University to withdraw a course. If you have received an offer for a course that we subsequently have to close, we will contact you as soon as possible to discuss alternative courses. If you do not wish to study any alternative courses at the University, you may withdraw your application by informing us by email to admissions@ulster.ac.uk.

3. Please note that the University’s website is the most up-to-date source of information regarding courses, campuses and facilities and we strongly recommend that you always visit the website before making any commitments.

4. We will include a durable PDF when we send you an offer letter which will highlight any changes made to our prospectus or online information about our courses. You should read this carefully and ensure you fully understand what you are agreeing to before accepting a place on one of our courses.

5. The University will always try to deliver the course as described in the durable PDF you receive with your offer letter.

6. At any point after an offer has been made, students will be notified of any course changes in writing (usually by email) as soon as reasonably practicable and we will take all reasonable steps to minimise their impact where possible. The University will, where possible and reasonably practicable, seek the express consent of the student in regard to any changes concerning material or pre-contract information.

7. The University website will be updated to reflect the changed course information as soon as reasonably practicable.

8. If, after due consideration, you decide that you no longer want to study your course or to study at the University because of the changes, you may withdraw your application or terminate your contract with the University. In order to do so, you should notify us in writing by emailing admissions@ulster.ac.uk (and update UCAS if applicable). We will, on request, recommend alternative courses that you could study with us, or suggest a suitable course at an alternative higher education provider.

9. If you do not agree that the changes are fair, you can seek redress under the Student Complaints Procedures.

10. Providing the University has complied with the requirements of all applicable consumer protection laws, the University does not accept responsibility for the consequences of any modification, relocation or cancellation of any course, or part of a course, offered by the University. The University will give due and proper consideration to the effects thereof on individual students and take the steps necessary to minimise the impact of such effects on those affected.

11. The University is not liable for disruption to its provision of educational or other services caused by circumstances beyond its reasonable control providing it takes all reasonable steps to minimise the resultant disruption to such services.

12. The published Academic Calendar sets out the University’s standard teaching, assessment, and vacation periods. These dates do not apply to all programmes. Individual programmes may operate different start dates, teaching periods, assessment schedules, or vacation arrangements, and some may include teaching or assessment outside the standard University terms. This is particularly common for programmes with professional accreditation requirements, clinical or practice‑based teaching, placements, fieldwork, or intensive study blocks. Full‑time 12‑month programmes, particularly postgraduate taught courses, may operate across the full academic year and typically continue through the summer period without a standard vacation break.

Applicants and students should not rely solely on the central academic calendar when making decisions about accommodation, travel, employment, or other commitments. Programme‑specific schedules will normally be confirmed in programme information, offer documentation and programme handbooks.

The University takes reasonable steps to ensure the accuracy of published information but reserves the right to make changes where reasonably necessary, including to maintain academic standards or to comply with regulatory or professional requirements. Where changes materially affect students, the University will take reasonable steps to notify affected students and applicants in advance where possible.

13. Further information can be found in our terms and conditions.

Student Terms and Conditions

The full Student Terms and Conditions is now available.